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Tel : +357 2 803100
Fax : +357 2 675019
E-mail : roc-dwd@cytanet.moa.gov.cy, prousis@wdd.moa.gov.cy

Mr. Nicos Tsiourtis
(For address see sl. no. 1)

E-mail : roc-dwd@cytanet.moa.gov.cy

Member : ERWG

COUNTRY PROFILE - CYPRUS

Geography and population

Cyprus is the largest island in the Eastern Mediterranean with an area of 9 250 km². The main features of the island’s topography include two mountain ranges, the Kyrenia in the north, which rises to 1 024 metres, and the Troodos in the centre, rising to 1 951 metres. Between these two main mountain ranges lies a wide plain, the Mesaoria plain, which rises from sea level to about 325 metres. Between the two mountain ranges and the sea there are narrow fertile coastal plains. The area of the country is about 5 807 km². It has a maximum length of 240 kms. from East to West and a maximum width of 100 kms. from North to South.

The total population for the whole island is 742 000 according to United Nations estimates (1995), of which 46% is rural. According to the National Demographic Report of 1994, the total population in the government-controlled areas amounted to 638 300 (as against 734 000 for the whole island), of which 32% was rural. The annual population growth is 1%. Agriculture, including crop production, livestock, fisheries and forestry accounted for 5.4 % of the GDP in 1994, down from 10% in 1980.

The climate of Cyprus is typical of the Eastern Mediterranean, with mild winters and hot, dry summers. Average daily minimum temperature is 9°C in January, while the average daily maximum is 35°C in August. The mean annual precipitation for the whole island is 503 mm, ranging from 290 mm in the east to 1190 mm in the Troodos mountains. Most of the rain falls in the winter months from December to February, with snow falling frequently in the Troodos mountains. Hail storms are common and often cause considerable crop damage. There are large variations in rainfall from year to year.

The cultivable area is estimated at 165 433 ha, which is 28% of the total area under government control. In 1994, cultivated land amounted to 111 649 ha, of which 69 509 ha consisted of annual crops and 42 140 ha consisted of permanent crops. Most land is private. There are 51 300 farm holdings and according to the 1994 Census of Agriculture, the average holding size is 3.5 ha divided into 4.5 parcels of land.

Water resources

A water balance cannot be easily calculated for the government-controlled area of Cyprus. A water balance for the whole island, however, indicates 900 million m³/year of renewable water resources. Surface runoff is estimated to represent about 830 million m³/year. The natural aquifer recharge is estimated at 300 million m³, of which about 70 million m³ flows to the sea and 100 million m³ emerges from springs.

There are 14 main rivers, none of which provides perennial flow. The source of water for these rivers originates in the Troodos mountains. The main groundwater aquifers are the Western Mesaoria (Morphou), Kokkinochoria (South-eastern and Eastern Mesaoria) and the Akrotiri. Smaller aquifers exist in other parts of the country.

Dams

In 1995, the total dam storage capacity reached 299 million m³ on the whole island, up from 6 million m³ in 1961 and 64 million m³ in 1974.

Currently some 40 million m³ of wastewater are produced annually on the whole island.

Water withdrawal

In 1993, total water withdrawal in the government-controlled area was 211 million m³ of which 74% was for agricultural purposes, including both irrigation (70.6%) and livestock (3.3%). Water withdrawal for domestic and industrial use in 1993 was 23.7% and 2.4% respectively. The trend in recent years, which is likely to continue in the future, is that increasing quantities of water will be used for domestic water supplies at the expense of agriculture.

Considering the whole island, 70 million m³ of groundwater flows to the sea yearly and 270 million m³ is either pumped out or emerges from springs, leading to a total extraction from the aquifers of 340 million m³/year. As the annual recharge has been estimated at 300 million m³, there could be up to 40 million m³/year of excess pumping over natural recharge. As a result, the total area of Cyprus is experiencing a gradual decline in groundwater yield, a lowering of the water table and, in certain cases, sea water intrusion.

Irrigation and drainage development

In 1994, the water managed area was estimated at 39 938 ha in the government controlled area, of which 39 545 ha were equipped for full or partial control irrigation. Less than 1 % consisted of spate irrigation. In 1994 only 32 864 ha, or only 82% of the water managed area, were irrigated because of water shortages.

Spring water and groundwater were the first target of water resources development. Traditionally this water was cheap and easy to develop by individual farmers or farmers’ Irrigation Divisions or Associations. In both cases a government permit is required prior to initiation of any water work. Normally these schemes are small and they cover 1 to 3 ha, although larger schemes have also been developed in recent years.

All public schemes are operated by the Water Development Department (WDD) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment and the farmers are charged for the water on a volumetric basis. This is possible through the use of water meters which are monitored regularly by the WDD. Irrigation Divisions or Associations usually operate and maintain their own schemes and charge the users either on a volumetric or an hourly basis.

The irrigation network in Cyprus is highly efficient. It generally consists of closed systems with an overall conveyance efficiency averaging 90-95 %. Field application efficiency averages 80-90%. In parallel with the government’s efforts to increase the water available for agriculture, emphasis was placed on the optimum utilization of water through improved irrigation methods. To encourage farmers to use improved irrigation methods the government offered incentives to participating farmers in the form of subsidies and long-term low interest loans for the purchase and installation of improved irrigation systems. As a result of these efforts, the area irrigated by surface irrigation methods has declined from about 13 400 ha in 1974 to less than 2 000 in 1995 while the area equipped for micro-irrigation has increased over the same period from about 2 700 ha to almost 35 600 ha.
In 1994, 21 746 ha consisted of large schemes (> 500 ha), 2 091 ha of medium schemes and 15 708 ha of small schemes (<100 ha).

The major irrigated crops are fruit trees and potatoes. For most crops the cost of irrigation water varies from about $US 90 to 270/year per ha. Public schemes currently charge the consumer $US 0.03/m³, whereas the Irrigation Divisions usually charge their members the full operating costs in addition to a basic charge for repayment of loans (when applicable).

These costs are high and discourage the farmers from using irrigation for low value crops such as cereals, pulses, olives, almonds, carrots etc. The above-mentioned cost amounts, for example, to about 23 % of variable costs and 17% of total production costs for oranges or 17% and 11 % respectively for spring potatoes. These two crops are the major export crops of Cyprus and cover an area of about 2200 and 4600 ha/year respectively. When irrigation is used for other crops, for example wheat or barley, the yields also substantially increase. While the national average yields of rainfed wheat and barley were 0.55 and 0.92 tons/ha respectively in 1994, irrigated crop yields were 4 and 3 tons/ha respectively. Although irrigated crops cover only about 30% of the cultivated land, they account for 60-70% of the production earnings.

Institutional environment

The Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment is responsible, through a number of departments, for water resources assessment and development. The Water Development Department (WDD) assesses the surface water resources (groundwater resources are assessed by the Geological Survey Department), plans the water development projects, develops the engineering studies (including civil works needed) and operates and maintains these projects. Project construction is usually subcontracted to the private sector, following bids. The WDD also has the responsibility of recommending plans to government for the allocation of water resources as well as water rates. For irrigation purposes the water rates cannot legally exceed 40% (65% in exceptional cases) of the average total cost of water provision, including capital expenditure as well as operation and maintenance expenditures (for domestic and industrial water supply the full costs are recovered).

The main laws concerned with irrigation date back to before to independence in 1961, and include the Government Water Works Law (Cap 341 of 1928) which provides for the control of water and the construction of water works by the government; the Wells Law (Cap 351 of 1946) which covers the installation of wells and their related water rights, and the Irrigation Divisions (Cap 342 of 1938) which regulates the formation of Irrigation Divisions and their operation. The Laws, in general, function effectively and, in the case of the Water Laws, cover all aspects of water development as well as interactions between government and users. All land in Cyprus is registered and owners have deeds or certificates of ownership.

Trends in water resources management

There is no accurate estimate of the quantity of water extracted in excess of natural recharge, but it could be as high as 40 million m³/year. Even so, in years of drought or below average rainfall, it is necessary to divert water from agriculture to the domestic and industrial sector. In such cases it is necessary to restrict the amount of water made available for both annual and perennial crops. For instance, in the 1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons, annual crops were limited on average to 70% of the normally irrigated land, whereas perennial crops received only 80% of normal supply. A similar situation occured in 1993.

Waterlogging, soil salinization, and vector-borne diseases are not present in Cyprus. Contamination of groundwater, especially with fertilizers (particularly nitrates) in certain areas of the island where agriculture is intensively practiced, is however occurring and is a cause of concern. There is also the problem of seawater intrusion in the main coastal aquifers. This situation overall requires close monitoring.

Cyprus and ICID

Cyprus joined ICID in 1955, and has been actively associated with ICID activities at national as well as international level. Cyprus National Committee (CYCID) is represented in one ICID Regional Working Group, i.e. European Regional Working Group (ERWG). At present, Mr. Viassis Partassids is the Secretary and Mr. Christodoulos Christodoulou is the Chairman of CYCID.